LEGAL ASPECTS OF FACILITIES MANAGEMENT OF SHOPPING MALLS IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

Various incidents have occurred at the shopping malls in Singapore in recent years, resulting in numerous reports of injuries and fatalities. These incidents fall under the purview of Facilities Management (FM) of the shopping malls, thus highlighting the importance of having a comprehensive shopping mall FM safety strategy in place to safeguard the public’s interest. With a significant number of footfalls each day, it is essential to manage and minimise any potential risks that could affect public safety and ensure smooth operations, in addition to safekeeping the reputation of a shopping mall. This research aims to study the current statutory laws, contractual issues as well as the law of specific torts related to shopping malls in Singapore in the interest of public safety. A literature review was done to understand the legal aspects of FM of the shopping malls. In addition, interviews were conducted to gain valuable insights from industry experts regarding the legal aspects of FM of the shopping malls. Based on the findings from the literature review and interviews, a mall safety checklist was developed to better guide the shopping mall owners, Management Corporations (MCs) and management regarding the legal aspects of FM to improve public safety of shopping malls in Singapore. Lastly, limitations of the research were identified specifically the use of emails for interviews and a lack of specific FM laws in Singapore. Recommendations such as comparison of the legislation among different countries were also suggested for future research.